COVID-19 is the most disturbing pandemic of the past hundred years. Its causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been the subject of an unprecedented investigation to characterize its molecular structure and intimate functioning. While markers for its detection have been proposed and several diagnostic methodologies developed, its propensity to evolve and evade diagnostic tools and the immune response is of great concern. The recent spread of new variants with increased infectivity requires even more attention. Here, we document how shotgun proteomics can be useful for rapidly monitoring the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We evaluated the heterogeneity of purified SARS-CoV-2 virus obtained after culturing in the Vero E6 cell line. We found that cell culture induces significant changes that are translated at the protein level, such changes being detectable by tandem mass spectrometry. Production of viral particles requires careful quality control which can be easily performed by shotgun proteomics. Although considered relatively stable so far, the SARS-CoV-2 genome turns out to be prone to frequent variations. Therefore, the sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 variants from patients reporting only the consensus genome after its amplification would deserve more attention and could benefit from more in-depth analysis of low level but crystal-clear signals, as well as complementary and rapid analysis by shotgun proteomics. Graphical abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00216-021-03401-9.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, mass spectrometry, mutations, variants, Genome sequencing, Viral particles, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Evolution, Production, proteomics, immune response, pandemic, Sequencing, variant, SARS-CoV-2 variant, diagnostic, SARS-CoV-2 virus, heterogeneity, Spread, amplification, Cell culture, Patient, variations, methodology, molecular, Quality control, change, marker, Tandem mass spectrometry, Analysis, complementary, Vero E6, Abstract, supplementary material, subject, in-depth analysis, protein level, cell line, while, viral particle, benefit, consensus genome, performed, detectable, evaluated, induce, evade, translated, purified, turn, the SARS-CoV-2 genome, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 【제목키워드】 proteomics, SARS-CoV-2 virus, Cell culture, produced, supported,